Latvian MEP Vilis Kristopans of the opposition Latvia First (LPV) party will join the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, LETA reports. The group includes many members who are sympathetic towards Russia. Kristopans expects that the number of members in the group will continue to grow. Kristopans served as prime minister of…
Lithuania will begin issuing defence bonds after 1 October 2024, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste announced, BNS reports. The defence bonds will have a maximum interest rate of 2%, which is lower than on savings certificates. The lower rate will ensure that the state borrows for defence at a rate that is cheaper than the market…
The Lithuanian government plans to invest around EUR 17.56mn in counter-mobility measures over 2024-2027, the Ministry of Defence announced, BNS reports. The plan is to deploy counter-mobility defence installations along the border with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad (Königsberg) region by April 2025, reserve barriers on major national roads and bridges by November 2025, and drainage…
Several countries have expressed interest in renting Estonia’s empty prison space, according to the Ministry of Justice, ERR reports. A ministry official said that neighbouring countries had shown interest, and that European statistics indicated a demand for prison space. However, legislative amendments were needed before renting out prison space, the official added. Earlier reports suggested…
Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has requested financial support from the EU to strengthen the protection of the country’s border with Russia, BNS reports. In a letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Bilotaite emphasised the need to modernise and update border surveillance systems, with costs estimated at nearly EUR 16mn and required…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will raise the issue of NATO’s response to recent Russian hybrid attacks at the alliance’s summit in Washington, his chief national security adviser, Kestutis Budrys, said, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Budrys insisted that NATO had to respond to attacks when there was clear attribution. He suggested…
Lithuania’s central bank, the Bank of Lithuania, has proposed a comprehensive review of existing tax exemptions, income and wealth taxation, and reducing the VAT gap to increase budget revenue as the population ages, BNS reports. Vaidotas Tuzikas, principal economist at the Bank of Lithuania, noted that Lithuania’s ratio of tax collection to GDP of 4.5%…
Latvia has a shortage of more than 1,000 police officers, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated, LSM reports. The biggest shortage is in the State Police. In 2023, as many as 200 more officers left the State Police than were recruited. Kozlovskis said that he would ask for more funding to raise salaries in internal affairs…
Estonia’s primary goals at the NATO summit in Washington include increasing defence spending, closing capability gaps, and maintaining a focus on the threat from Russia, ERR reports. Estonia is pushing for investments in critical defence capabilities such as air defence and ammunition. Estonia supports raising the defence spending target to 2.5-3% of GDP. Additionally, Estonia…